Friedman

In its simplist explanation a compressor makes the quiet parts of the signal louder and the louder parts quieter delivering a more consistant loudness. Can have the most subtle of effect through to the very obvious "snap". A compressor can also increase sustain and provide extra gain to push the front of your amp.

From mild soft clipping overdrives, to germanium based fuzz circuits, to all out hard clipping high gain, these pedals give you the drive to suit your taste.

Boost pedals allow you make your sound "bigger" by adding more gain to your signal before it hits the input on your amp. They're typically used to help a solo cut through or to obtain a natural overdrive from your amp.